Gardner, KS Outdoor Activities

Founded in 1994, Hickory Creek Ranch immerses riders and horses in an idyllic natural landscape, further solidifying the bond between man and animal on the trails and pastures. During trail rides, visitors set off across more than 40 acres of grassy pasture in the early morning or early evening—the time when the sun streaks brilliant colors across the sky, fauna roam the woods, and horses won't miss their favorite mounted-police show, CLOPS. After setting out, steeds meander through regions of dense forest home to wild flowers and trees as well as blue heron, red-tailed hawks, and wild turkey. Along the route, white-tailed deer may even bound across the fields as frogs croak improvised jazz melodies at the pond.

Back at the ranch, students of all experience levels learn horsemanship or improve their skills with private and group lessons or summer camps. Collectively, the trainers and instructors at Hickory Creek have amassed more than 30 years of teaching, showing, and breeding experience—a pedigree that has spawned numerous regional and national champions from past protégés.

As speeding wakeboarders bail from their runs, plunging into the water as the tow cables snap away from their grasp, no boats will ever circle back to pick them up. They're not stranded, however, because at KC Watersports, overhead cables pull riders along the water instead, ushering them toward the rails and ramps peppering the 7.5-acre lake. Families cheer on water-skiers from the beach, grab bites at the snack shack, or fasten water-skis on hot dogs and get them to race. Beginner sessions feature slower cable speeds to acclimate newcomers to the wakes, and the camp's sets of sliders and kickers challenge veterans to pull off new, more impressive stunts than merely back-flipping over a human pyramid. Back on shore, spectators can cheer on athletes from shaded beach or grab bites at the snack shack, and an onsite pro shop stocks rental or retail gear from brands such as Liquid Force, Body Glove, Go Pro, and Master Craft.

Opened in 1989, Drop Zone Paintball Park's six fields sprawl over 89 acres of land, which play host to combat during sun or rain showers. In one field, a castle scenario corrals players into elevated turrets to defend against opponents who fire from surrounding towers across a makeshift moat. Elsewhere, trees lining ravines offer safe cover so shooters can take careful aim at their foes or draw their sweetheart's initials upon the trunks. Along with space for paintball and tournament-style speedball, the park's designers designated a special zone near the castle field where nonplayers can watch the action from a safe distance.

Nestled upon a patch of land that's passed through the hands of five generations, The Lessman Farm owes much to its current paterfamilias, Ronald Lessman, who began drawing in sightseers and visitors with his catfish pond, self-built house, and otherworldly sculpture gardens. Guests walk the shores or ply the waves of the 30-acre catfish lake, casting for regularly stocked populations of bass, perch, and crappie as they take in the majestic scenery of the rustic prairie. But what draws the most attention from visitors is Truckhenge, an arrangement of half-buried torpedo trucks, mysteriously lifting their engines skywards in what appears to be an industrial-age interpretation of Stonehenge. The Lessmans' outdoor installation is folk art on a monumental scale, proudly flaunting its offbeat flavor and inspiring visitors to express themselves without hesitation or apology or to bury themselves waist-deep in the ground at a 45-degree angle. A healthy respect for individualism and the avant-garde prevails throughout the property, with other attractions drawing attention from tourists, such as the enormous quonset hut farmhouse handmade from recycled materials or the huge beer-bottle glass wall mosaic.

The YWCA is the largest women's multicultural organization in existence, encompassing some 125 million members in over 100 countries. The membership represents a diversity of culture and lifestyle that assembles in 300 local associations, including the YWCA of Topeka. The Topeka chapter, first instituted in 1887, lives out the YWCA mission of empowering women with locally focused programs and outreach initiatives ranging from fitness and wellness to youth services such as Girls on the Run of Topeka. A local council of Girls on the Run International, the Topeka organization often partners with the YWCA, using running to encourage girls in grades 3-8 to live lives of confidence, health, and togetherness.